What Is a Self-Capacitance Touchscreen? Get the Facts

Accounting for over nine in 10 of all touchscreens shipped globally, capacitive is the world's most popular type of touchscreen technology. It's called "capacitive" because it uses capacitance to detect touch commands. When shopping for a capacitive touchscreen, though, you may encounter self-capacitance. A subtype of capacitive technology, it uses capacitance to detect touch commands - just like all capacitive touchscreens. With that said, self-capacitance touchscreens are designed in a specific way that distinguishes them from other capacitive touchscreens.

Overview of Self-Capacitance Touchscreens

Self-capacitance is a type of touchscreen technology that's able to measure capacitance at each intersection of its sensors. All capacitive touchscreens feature sensors to measure capacitance. When a capacitive touchscreen is turned on, it will emit an electrostatic charge across the display. There are sensors embedded behind the display that track this electrostatic charge. Self-capacitance touchscreens work by measuring capacitance at each of the intersection of its sensors.

The Mechanics of Self-Capacitance Touchscreens

Like mutual capacitance touchscreens, self-capacitance touchscreens have sensors. The sensors are arranged using X and Y coordinates, resulting in the formation of an invisible grid. Mutual capacitance touchscreens, however, don't measure capacitance at each intersection of its sensors. Self-capacitance touchscreens, on the other hand, do measure capacitance at each intersection of its sensors.

When you touch the display interface of a self-capacitance touchscreen, your finger will draw some of its electrostatic charge. The sensors at the intersection closest to your touch will then register it as a touch command. The self-capacitive touchscreen will notice the drop in capacitance around the sensors, so it will respond by registering your touch command at that location.